1 research outputs found
The wellness hub: a positive companion for college students' success
No full textThe Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD) master’s degree program focuses on creativity, problem-solving, and technological innovation. While brainstorming for this creative project, I decided to create something that would further expand my skills in all three areas. During my college experience, I regularly observed a problem: My peers and I have consistently experienced stress and negative emotions that seem to heighten during exam periods. Secondary research proved that this issue is both real and cyclical, requiring new approaches to break the pattern (Manchri et al., 2016; Kahn & Shamama-Tus-Sabah, 2020; Healthy Minds Survey, 2024). After conducting primary research to better understand the problem space, I identified virtual reality (VR)–a medium with impressive capabilities to promote positive emotion through immersion and interactivity–as a possible solution.
Drawing inspiration from the broaden-and-build theory of positive psychology, I developed a proof-of-concept VR game called The Wellness Hub. This game is designed to serve as a mental wellness companion for college students. Through gameplay, students can unload negative thoughts, de-stress, organize tasks, and work toward achieving their goals, while learning about the benefits of each activity to provide intrinsic motivation. This game and the details included within its design are inspired by a review of extant literature, primary research through collaborative design activities, and user testing. By leveraging the power of VR, I aimed to create a tool that helps students imagine new possibilities for overcoming challenges throughout college.M. A
